


Three Times Liz Felt Possessive (and the one time it wasn't her)

by jackandsamforever



Category: The Blacklist (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-23
Updated: 2014-11-17
Packaged: 2018-02-22 07:25:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2499512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackandsamforever/pseuds/jackandsamforever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liz just can't help herself. She feels possessive of Red. Let the angst (and occasional humor) ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off the wonderful prompt by heroeswantredheads. There will be four parts to this fic. :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Blacklist.

_Does the FBI even have a Christmas party, my ass_ , Liz thought to herself as she remembered Red's words to one of his associates months ago. She hadn't bothered gracing him with an answer then because she had hoped that she would be able to get out of having to go, and that Red would never get wind of it and insist on going with her.

No such luck though.

Cooper had walked in her office only minutes ago and told her that the annual Christmas party was the next day and that she was "expected to go". She had seen the memos and the RSVP's for weeks now, but she had ignored them in hopes that no one would notice. Cooper's face had been non-compromising and humorless as he delivered his "order", so she had merely nodded in agreement and watched him turn and walk out without another word. His body had barely cleared the threshold of her office before she could no longer hold back her eyeroll. She didn't want to go. Those things only reminded her of better times, times that she would rather not dwell on anymore, because all it caused was bitterness to rise in her throat like bile.

She sighed loudly and threw her pen down on her desk as she put her face in her hand and leaned her elbow on the hard surface. Ressler happened to walk in right as her sigh ended.

"What's wrong, Keen?"

She rose her eyes to him without moving her head and glared with icy eyes. "Other than the fact that we're practically being ordered to go to the damn Christmas party? Nothing in particular," she said sarcastically.

Ressler sat down at his desk and threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Geez Keen, sorry I asked."

They stared unblinkingly at each other for a few more moments until he gave up and ended their stalemate as he picked up his pen and began his paperwork without saying anything else.

Liz sighed again and closed her eyes. She knew she needed to stop snapping at people, but it seemed like the only emotion she was able to muster these days was anger. It was familiar and easy. Other emotions were too complicated and easy for people to take advantage of, so she found herself falling back on anger more and more often.

Even Red had noticed and called her out on it, which had been one of the worst things he could have done; because in her mind, he was the one who had set the ball rolling on her path of destruction.

Opening her eyes slowly, she looked up at the clock and saw that it was after five. She could leave without getting in trouble; she couldn't concentrate anyway.

She tidied up her desk as best she could then stood up and slipped her coat on. Ressler still hadn't looked at her, but it afforded her the opportunity to look at him more closely. He looked like hell. There were bags under his eyes that hadn't been there before, his hands trembled slightly as he typed on his keyboard, and there was a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead when there shouldn't be. It wasn't hot in their office.

If she actually thought about it closely, his behavior had been worse than hers lately, and he adamantly refused to talk to anyone, stating that nothing was wrong with him. She wanted to ask him what was going on with him, but figured that would be a little hypocritical seeing as her behavior hadn't been much better.

They were a sad pair.

She finished with the buttons on her coat and reached over to squeeze Ressler's shoulder in a silent apology as she walked past him and out of their office. She would formally apologize to him later, but right now she just wanted to leave before something else set off her anger. Something like Red showing up and informing them about another dramatic attack somewhere in DC, or Samar showing up with Red and flirting shamelessly with him in front of her.

She gritted her teeth in annoyance. She was NOT going to think about that.

She wasn't jealous or possessive. She just didn't trust Samar.

That was all.

As if her thoughts had prompted him to call her, her phone rang as she stepped into the elevator. When she saw who it was, she unclenched her jaw and answered. "Red, please don't tell me you have a case, or you need to see me, or anything of that nature," she gritted out as she pushed the garage button in the elevator.

There was a quiet pause, then his subdued voice came through. "No, no nothing like that, Lizzie." If she let herself think about it, she would have realized that he used this tone with her more often than not these days. It was as if he was tiptoeing around her, afraid that she was going to snap at him once again. Which she had, so she couldn't blame him really.

She took a deep breath and tried to make her voice more pleasant. "Is there anything you need in particular then?"

He cleared his throat, and she could picture him wincing behind his amber sunglasses. "I wanted to know if you needed a ride to the Christmas party tomorrow."

All pretense of civility flew out the window. "You're going? Seriously? Did Cooper even invite you?"

He snorted in derision. "Of course he did. Would you like a ride or not? If not, then I think I'll take up Ms. Navabi's offer and accompany her."

She knew he was trying to make her angry, jealous even. He knew her too well.

The elevator doors slid open and she strode out angrily. "No, I don't need a ride," she spat. "Thanks anyway." Then she hung up and practically threw her phone in her purse. Dammit, she was angry again. And it was because of Red...again.

Why did he evoke so much anger in her?

She slid in her car and leaned her forehead on the steering wheel, then went through her mental exercises to calm herself. It didn't do anyone any good for her to drive angry. She tended to be reckless.

She made it home safely and loitered around her house for the rest of the afternoon and evening. She wasn't used to being home this early, but she didn't feel like doing anything that made her think. So she played Candy Crush on her phone until it was time to go to bed, then she slipped in-between her cool sheets and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

She didn't even dream about Red for once.

OOOOOO

The next day, work passed by rather quickly. They weren't working on a case, so they spent the day locked in their office working on paperwork that had been backing up for weeks. She had apologized to Ressler as soon as he had shown up, and they passed the day in comfortable silence.

5:00 rolled around far too quickly for her tastes, and she had reluctantly bid Ressler farewell so she could go home and get ready for the dreaded party. He had smiled and told her he would see her later.

That had been two hours ago, and now she found herself standing in front of her full-length mirror studying her appearance. As much as she didn't want to go to the party, she had gone all out. But not to make Red jealous. She didn't care what he thought.

She really didn't.

She wore a crystal blue, sleeveless dress that hugged her body in all the right places and ended just above her knees with silver pumps. Her hair was pinned back in a messy bun, and she wore diamond studs in her ears with a matching necklace. She smiled at herself in the mirror. She knew she looked pretty, but she was doing this for herself. Not to make Red jealous.

She really wasn't.

OOOOOO

Liz handed her keys to the valet and studied the building in front of her. It was non-descript, but modern. Clean. Some kind of Lounge that the FBI had rented for the night. She shrugged internally. It was better than having it at the Post Office.

She walked inside and had to blink a few times for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The room in front of her was huge. There was a bar at the far side of the room, with festively decorated tables to the right of her and a large dance floor to the left. She slipped her coat off and handed it to the coat checker, then she walked further into the room and grimaced. There were Christmas decorations everywhere. It looked as if Santa had thrown up and this was the result.

There were multiple Christmas trees and lights around the room, and a lively rendition of "Jingle Bells" was playing over the speakers. Too loudly for her taste.

She saw many of her co-workers and nodded to them as she looked around the room for Ressler or Aram. She was NOT looking for Red.

She wasn't.

She finally spotted Aram sitting by himself in the corner on a white, comfortable looking couch playing on his phone. Relieved that she found somewhere to go, she walked over to him and plopped down next to him.

"Hey, Aram. Can I sit with you?"

Startled, he looked up and smiled brightly. "Hey Liz, I wasn't-" He stopped and swallowed nervously as he took in her appearance. "Wow, you look beautiful!" Then he cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "Sorry, I mean you look..nice." He glanced away, but even in the dark she could see that he was blushing.

She laughed quietly and patted his arm. "Thanks, Aram. So how long have you been here?"

He looked back at her, having finally composed himself. "Oh, for like twenty minutes. Its been pretty boring if you ask me."

She continued to look around the room as she nodded. "Well if you sit in the corner, parties tend to be boring."

He leaned closer and whispered near her ear. "Mr. Reddington isn't here yet."

Her eyes snapped to his as she coughed lightly. "And why would I care?"

Aram shrugged. "Just seemed like you were looking for someone."

Her eyes moved away from his as she shook her head. "Just...taking in the scene." She sounded like she was lying, even to her own ears.

"Of course."

They sat in silence for another few moments until a commotion at the door drew her attention. She rolled her eyes as she saw Red and Samar stride in. Red dressed in a very dashing black suit, and Samar in a revealing black dress; entirely too inappropriate for a Christmas party if you asked Liz.

She watched as Red took Samar's coat, then handed it to the coat checker and slid his hand around her waist to lead her to a table. Red leaned down and whispered something in her ear that caused Samar to laugh lightly and swat his chest playfully.

Liz felt like throwing up.

Aram cleared his throat next to her and said a little forlornly, "Agent Navabi looks..nice. Not as pretty as you though."

She looked at him and smiled. "Thanks Aram, but I know you've had your eye on Samar for a while. It can't be easy seeing her with Red like that."

His eyes widened momentarily, but he nodded in acceptance after a few moments. "Yeah, well it can't be easy for you either."

"What are you talking about?"

Aram patted her knee and stood up. "I'm going to get a drink. Want anything?"

She shook her head and watched as he weaved through the tables to get to the bar. Liz turned her attention back to Red and Samar just in time to see him run his fingers over her neck and lean in to nibble on her ear. Liz actually thought about standing up and leaving. She didn't want to watch that all night long. She had made an appearance, Cooper couldn't do anything to her.

She stood up to do just that when she saw Cooper coming towards her. Fantastic.

When he was close enough to hear, he smiled and said, "I'm glad you came, Liz." As if she had a damn choice.

She smiled. "Thanks, Sir. Is your family here?"

He nodded, and as he turned to point out his wife, she found her eyes sliding back to Red. Luckily he wasn't doing anything too vomit-inducing at the moment. Cooper turned back to her and she snapped her eyes back to his as she listened to him drone on about the party and his plans for the holidays.

She had listened with half an ear, and breathed a sigh of relief when he finally walked away. Aram chose that moment to come back with no drink in hand.

"You planned that didn't you, Aram?"

He looked at her a little too innocently. "Planned what?"

She snorted softly and shook her head. "Never mind. Want to dance?"

Couples were beginning to crowd on the dance floor and she was tired of sitting in the corner and watching Red hang all over Samar.

"Oh, um...sure. I'm not much of a dancer, though."

She slid her arm in the crook of his elbow and started leading him towards the dance floor. "It doesn't matter. Anything is better than sitting in the corner."

They arrived to the floor with a "Jingle Bell Rock" playing loudly over the speakers. They danced terribly, but she had more fun than she could remember having in months. They were able to be goofy with one another, not caring what others thought of them. It was liberating.

The song ended too soon, and a slow ballad began playing. Aram awkwardly pulled her towards him and laid his hand lightly high up on her waist as he took her other hand then began moving them in time with the music. She smiled at him, then made herself listen to the lyrics of the song and not think about anything else. "Where are you Christmas, do you remember?" She remembered this song was from "The Grinch" and sighed wistfully. She was a sucker for Christmas movies. Any and all of them.

Because she had her eyes closed, she didn't see Aram's eyes widen as he saw Red striding towards them, but she did feel the sudden tension emanating from his body. She opened her eyes and looked at him closely. "What?"

His eyes darted to hers, then back to something or someone behind her. Only one person made Aram that nervous.

"Aram, how nice to see you tonight." Red's gravelly voice washed over her as he continued. "I need to speak with Agent Keen, would you be so kind as to entertain my date? She loves to dance."

Aram nodded a little too enthusiastically, eager to get away from Red, and let go of Liz before patting her shoulder and moving away from them with a quiet goodbye.

Still with her back to him, she stood stiffly, waiting for Red to do something.

She felt a hand slide slowly around her waist, then he turned her and pulled her bodily against him. She tried to put some space between them, but his arm around her back effectively trapped her. She wasn't going to think about how good his body felt against hers, or his arm around her back.

"What the hell are you playing at? You bring one woman as a date and bodily accost another one in sight of her?" She said into his neck.

Red chuckled and tightened his hold. "Oh, Lizzie. You never fail to amuse me," he said near her ear, his warm breath tickling the sensitive skin under her ear.

She snaked her arm under his suit coat and pinched his side. "Stop it. Just..can we not do this please?"

He didn't react to her pinch, and instead leaned closer to her ear. "All I wanted to do was dance with the most beautiful woman in the room. You can't fault a man for that."

She rolled her eyes. "Well when said man brings another woman, I kind of can fault him."

"If I didn't know better, Lizzie, I would say you were jealous. Possessive even." His voice was low and silky. Enough to make her weak in the knees.

Instead of answering him, she surprised herself and laid her head on his shoulder. She was tired of fighting with him. Tired of being jealous. Tired of feeling like shit all the time.

He moved the arm that wasn't wrapped around her waist to her hair and scratched her scalp lightly. "Sweetheart, are you ok?"

To her chagrin, tears began to well up in her eyes. She didn't want to cry, especially in front of him. She found that she couldn't say anything without giving herself away, so she nodded and wrapped her other arm under his suit coat and hugged him tightly.

She could tell he was surprised by the way he held his body, because it was so uncharacteristic of her to be so openly affectionate. Especially with him.

They danced silently through three slow songs in a row before he pulled back and led her towards the corner where she had sat with Aram earlier. She went without protest.

Once they were both situated on the couch, he turned his body towards her and studied her. She had crossed her legs and her arms over her chest. Her body language screaming that she didn't want to talk about it.

He reached over and took her hand lightly. "Lizzie, talk to me."

She couldn't. There were still too many secrets to hide from him. So she would go with the easiest truth.

"I guess I was a little...jealous." That had even been hard for her to admit.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You have nothing to be jealous of. Samar is nothing to me."

She avoided looking at him and shrugged. "It's just how I feel, I can't help it."

He moved closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders then pulled her close. He nuzzled his nose near her ear and kissed her cheek. "I only brought Samar so she could make an impression on Aram."

She needed to pull away. He was being entirely too affectionate in a public place. But..she liked being the center of his attention. "Ok. Fine."

Liz let her eyes wander back to the dance floor and smiled a little when she saw Aram dancing closely with Samar. At least someone was happy.

Red ghosted his fingers over her collarbone, his mouth still close to her ear. "I know you're hiding things from me, but I can hardly be angry with you since I'm doing the same."

She closed her eyes at the contact and nodded. "Then can you stop trying to make me angry all the time? It gets old."

He squeezed her neck lightly. "I'll do my best, but no promises."

That's all she could ask for.

She unfolded her arms and reached for his free hand that was lying on his thigh. "I'm sorry."

He didn't ask for what, and she was glad for it. She didn't want to talk anymore; it was exhausting.

"Can we go?" She said abruptly, interrupting his exploration of her ear with his lips.

He pulled away and nodded. "Of course. I'll have Dembe take you home."

She shook her head. "No, I want you to come with me. I don't want to spend the weekend alone."

Surprised at her confession, he merely nodded then stood up and led her towards the entrance. Just before they reached the front door, Ressler's drunken voice sounded loudly over the music. "Oh, look what you two are standing under." She looked back and glared at him as he sat at one of the tables surrounded by empty glasses, then looked up and groaned.

Mistletoe. Son of a bitch.

Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she grabbed Red around the neck and kissed him passionately. All clashing teeth and tongues, then she pulled away just as quickly, grabbed her coat and strode out of the lounge without another look at Red or Ressler.

She chose to ignore the catcalls and whistles as the doors closed and she breathed in the cold, crisp night air. She couldn't believe she had done that. She would blame it on alcohol if anyone asked, not that she had had any.

Red finally caught up to her and slid his arm around her shoulders as they waited for her car. "My my, if I would have known you were for public displays of affection I would have done that ages ago." There was laughter in his voice, but he kept a straight face.

She just rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Red."


	2. Chapter 2

_Set a few months after chapter one_

Liz stormed through the Hive towards her office in a rampage. She felt angry enough to hurt someone, possibly kill, and the more she walked the angrier she became. She had overheard a comment by Agent Clark in the break room as she was walking by about how she just needed to get laid so she wouldn't be so angry all the time, and that "Uncle Red" should take care of it for her.

She had changed her mind about going in and turned on her heel and stormed back towards her office. If she had confronted him it would have been ugly. These days her co-workers avoided interacting with her as much as they possibly could, but apparently that didn't prevent them from gossiping about her.

She reached her office and slammed the door with enough force for the window panes to rattle ominously. Then she closed all the blinds and sat down at her desk, forcing herself to take deep breaths before she took her gun out and did something she would regret. She shouldn't have let that comment bother her, what did they know anyway? But it had been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back; she had listened to those comments for months now and she was sick of them. Screw them and their gossip. Screw the FBI.

She closed her eyes and willed the tears that threatened to go away. It didn't do any good to cry; not where there was no one to console her or feel sorry for her. She prided herself on being strong, but she'd been severely tested lately and she felt weak. Out of control. Reckless.

Just as she reluctantly wiped a couple of betraying tears from her cheeks, her door opened and the one person who caused most of her ire walked through. He looked concerned, so he must have talked to one of the agents out in the Hive who saw her stomping around. Damn him.

"Lizzie, wha-"

She held up her hand for him to stop. "Don't, Red. Just leave." Her voice cracked at the end, but she swallowed and took another deep breath. She was NOT going to cry in front of him. Not again. Despite what had happened at the Christmas party (she suspected the rumors had gone into overdrive then), their relationship hadn't changed much. She wasn't sure what to think of it, but she had long given up trying to figure him out.

Instead of leaving, he pulled Ressler's chair around to the side of her desk and sat down. Then he took his fedora off and set it on the desk in front of him. She looked up to see him studying her closely. "You look tired," he said softly, then reached forward and squeezed her arm.

She jerked back and glared at him. "I am. Its been a long week."

He didn't try to reach for her again as he sat back and crossed his legs.

She picked up her pen and pretended to work on paperwork. "Is there a reason you're here, Reddington?"

He sighed. "You need to get out. Do something fun."

She glanced up at him and scoffed. "Right. And who would you suggest doing something fun with? Tom? Oh wait, he's dead. Ressler? Right. He's worse off than I am. Samar? She's more secretive than you are. You? So we can just bicker and argue all night? No thanks, I'll pass." She opened a drawer and took out some more paperwork to avoid looking at him further.

Red sighed quietly and bit the inside of his cheek. Deciding to ignore her acidic response, he leaned forward and tried to smile. "I have just the thing to cheer you up and get you away from work for a few hours."

She raised a dubious eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I have a business associate who is the co-owner of the Washington Wizards." At her confused look, he continued, "The Wizards are an NBA team. Basketball."

She rolled her eyes. "I know who the damned Wizards are. What I don't understand is why you're telling me this."

"He offered to let me use his suite anytime I wanted. And guess what? The Wizards happen to be playing tonight at home. What a coincidence."

"A coincidence, sure," she said sarcastically, then continued, "I don't see you being a sports fan."

There was a hint of a smile on his lips as he said, "I'm not, but when the woman who I...work with needs a break, I realized the opportunity couldn't be passed up."

"You're not going to take no for an answer are you?"

He tilted his head and laughed. "Oh my, it's not like I'm going to tie you up and drag you there. What kind of person do you take me for?"

She raised her eyebrows sarcastically and he laughed. "Really Lizzie, just humor me."

She sighed loudly. "Fine."

Red stood up and pulled his hat on. "Ready?"

"Now?" She sat back in her chair and frowned further.

He glanced at his watch. "It's nearly game time and I need to make a few calls."

She stood up in resignation and let Red help her with her coat. Once he pulled her hair out, he grabbed her elbow lightly and led her out of her office and towards the elevator. She caught a few smirks, like she really was going to go "get laid" by "Uncle Red", but mostly everyone avoided eye contact like usual.

They rode down the elevator in silence while she studied him out of the corner of her eye. He looked good, dressed in a light-colored vest with his usual blue coat over the top with brown trousers. She would never admit it to him, because she could just imagine his smug look, but she absolutely loved how he dressed. Always had, not matter how upset she was with him.

He interrupted her musings when he grabbed her elbow again and steered her towards his car where Dembe held the door open for them. After he slid in after her and the door was closed, he immediately took his phone out and dialed a number.

Instead of listening in to his conversation, she leaned her forehead against the cold glass and stared out at city lights. She really didn't want to be watching a basketball game when all she felt like doing was curling up in her bed and hoping for a dreamless sleep.

OOOOOO

They pulled up to a side entrance to the arena and were immediately met by three employees. As soon as Red helped her out, he turned to the men and turned on his charm. "Gentleman, I assume you're here to escort us to our box seats?"

They all looked a little nervous, but one stepped forward bravely and raised his chin confidently. "Sir, we have a small problem. As soon as Mr. Blanco ended your call, he was reminded that he'd already promised his suite to someone else. Instead of calling you back, he arranged for the next best seats in the arena which are courtside seats. Will that be ok...S-sir?"

Red clenched his jaw in annoyance and opened his mouth to complain, but Liz reached forward and squeezed his bicep, then mumbled, "Let it go, Red. It's fine."

He stared down the tiny man in front of him, then he pursed his lips. "I guess it'll have to do. Lead away."

The man nodded and waved his arm for them to follow. Red placed his hand lightly in-between her shoulder blades and propelled her in front of him as they followed the three people inside the already crowded arena.

They were shown to their seats just as the game started. Liz sat down in the soft, padded chair and couldn't hold back the little smile that spread over her face. Despite the impression she had given Red, she knew she would love watching the game. Especially this close up.

Sam had taken her to a few NBA games growing up, but they had always sat in the nose bleed section. This was an entirely different experience.

Halfway through the first quarter she could tell Red was already bored. He kept fidgeting. Crossing and uncrossing his legs, playing with his sunglasses, taking his coat off and draping it over the back of his chair.

After bumping her arm for the third time she looked at him in exasperation. "Red, go buy a beer or something. You're driving me crazy."

He managed to look apologetic before he nodded. "Would you like anything?"

She nodded distractedly. "A pretzel. With cheese, please."

He patted her thigh and stood up, then walked past her and up the stairs. She watched him for a few moments before her attention was drawn back to the game when John Wall hit a three-pointer.

OOOOOO

The first quarter ended and Red still hadn't returned. She figured that the lines were long and he probably had to use the bathroom. All men were the same in that respect. She turned her attention back to the game and cheered loudly when the opposing team called a timeout because the Wizards had gone a ten-nothing run. It was fun to watch this team when they were good, which hadn't happened often over the years.

Halfway through the second quarter she decided to go looking for him. She needed to use the restroom anyway. She walked up the stairs as quickly as she could (it was a long way up) and pushed open the door to go out in the hallway. As soon as she stepped out, she heard the unmistakable sound of Red's laughter.

Confused, she followed the sound and stopped when she saw him talking animatedly with a beautiful brown-haired, busty woman dressed in a jersey and short, very short, shorts, who was standing way too close to Red for comfort. She felt jealousy rise up in her and hated herself for it. He wasn't hers. He had every right to flirt and bed any woman that he wanted, but she still couldn't make the feeling go away. Just like the Christmas party and Samar.

She needed to get rid of the busty woman. Now.

Liz strode purposefully towards the couple and pasted a wide smile on her face as she slid an arm around Red's waist and looked adoringly at him. "Honey, there you are! I was beginning to get worried." She leaned her head on his shoulder and pulled him closer.

Red cleared his throat at the brown-haired woman's questioning look. "Um, sweetheart, this is Jessica. Jessica, this is-"

Liz stuck her hand out and interrupted him. "His wife. Nice to meet you, Jessica." She leaned up and kissed the side of his mouth.

Jessica's smile melted from her face as she looked at Red in confusion. "You're married?"

Liz could barely hold back the laugh bubbling up in her throat at the woman's expression. Score one for her.

Before Red could confirm his marital status, Jessica scowled and left without another word.

As soon as the woman was out of earshot, Liz pushed away from him and crossed her arms with a scowl on her face. "Really, Red? You bring me here to make me feel better, then as soon as you're out of sight you hit on the first woman to have big boobs?"

He had the wherewithal to look contrite. "It wasn't my intention, it just...happened."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure, whatever, I have to use the restroom." She then turned and walked away without another word. She was angry again, and hated that she cared so much.

When she returned, she stood in line next to Red but refused to speak to him. He tried to engage her a couple of different times, but she studiously ignored his attempts. She wasn't going to make it that easy for him.

After they ordered, Red paid for their food, much to her chagrin, and she helped carry it all back down to their seats. He carried the beers, and she carried her pretzel and his nachos.

As they sat down, the buzzer for halftime sounded. That meant they had to avoid speaking to him for the next fifteen minutes when all she wanted to do was forget about anything besides basketball and food.

They ate their food and watched as the Wizards dancers performed a dance, then they had a contest for two little kids that had the entire crowd cheering. It was entertaining, and by the time she was finished with her pretzel, halftime was over.

Red looked over at her to try to talk to her again, and she noticed he had a little bit of cheese at the corner of his mouth. She reached forward without thought and wiped it away with her thumb, then blushed when she saw the expression on his face. She wiped her thumb on her plate and turned her attention back to the players who were coming back onto the floor. She was still waiting for his apology.

As they waited for the third quarter to start, she looked up at the jumbotron to see that they were doing the kiss cam. The kiss cam never failed to make her laugh as unsuspecting people were made to kiss in front of thousands. That's when, to her horror, the camera panned over her and Red.

She groaned quietly, but didn't draw Red's attention to it. He happened to look up right at that moment, then he turned to look at her immediately and reached over and drew little circles on her thigh with his finger to get her attention. When she looked at him, he leaned forward and kissed her softly. Nothing like the one at Christmas, but sweet all the same. The crowd whistled and cheered, then the camera moved from them to find its next unsuspecting victims.

He pulled away after a few moments and leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry I acted like I did earlier. You're right, you don't deserve to be treated that way. I brought you here to make you feel better and I managed to make it worse.

She sniffed and pulled away so she wouldn't collapse into his arms and sob. "Thanks, Red, but I've actually had fun. Don't beat yourself up too much."

He didn't comment, but for the rest of the game he kept his arm around her shoulders and her body close to his. She found that she enjoyed the game far more when they sat like that and she could pretend they actually were married. No FBI. No criminals trying to kill them. Just two people enjoying a night out.

The game ended far too quickly for her liking (the Wizards won), and before she knew it, they were back in his car on their way home.

Dembe parked at the hotel she was staying at and opened the door for her to step out. Red followed after her and walked her to her door.

She stood facing him and shifted on her feet. She didn't really know what to say, especially after her little display in front of the concessions stand, so she settled for thanking him. "I had fun tonight, despite my little display of jealousy. Thanks for pulling some strings and taking me."

He nodded. "You're very welcome. Sometimes you need to let someone else help you, Lizzie, you're not Wonder Woman, at least not all the time."

She smiled and nodded, then leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

Before she could pull back, he moved his hand behind her neck and pressed his lips to hers softly before releasing her and moving back towards his car.

She watched him for a few seconds then turned and opened her door and stepped inside. She couldn't hold back her smile as she walked through the room and turned the TV on. She felt relaxed for the first time in as long as she could remember.

Maybe Red wasn't so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos, I appreciate it a lot! I would love to hear what you think about this one, then we'll have one more chapter of jealous!Liz, then a chapter of jealous!Red. Fun, fun. Have a great day!


	3. Chapter 3

We have to go in _there_? Liz looked at Red with skepticism, then turned back to gape at the building in front of them. It was a ridiculously decorated western bar with a large lit-up cowboy taking his hat on and off and American flags everywhere. It was the most cliché thing Liz had seen in a while.

Red patted her shoulder and nodded his head with a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Of course, Lizzie, did you not envision this when I explained it to the room full of your competent co-workers?"

She scoffed and shook her head with a quiet sigh. He always did things like this; purposely being vague about details. She knew he did it to cause her ire, although he would never admit it to her face, he knew better than that.

Well, she wasn't going to rise to the bait. That would only give him the satisfaction that she didn't want him to have. Screw that.

She squared her shoulders and plastered a smile on her face. "What are we waiting for then?"

Seeing the slight surprise in his eyes that were shaded by his fedora, she threaded her arm through his and pulled him towards the entrance of the bar that was seemingly packed wall to wall. If Red wanted to meet a contact here, then she was going to make damn sure she did her job, and well.

Red had insisted that she dress casual, and now she could see why, although he wasn't dressed any differently. Although he didn't have a suit coat on, wearing just a grey vest and shirtsleeves, so she guessed that he considered that "dressing down".

Red pulled the door open and they were immediately lambasted with loud county music and raucous laughter. Liz gave Red another dubious look, then sighed and pushed her way through the bodies, most dressed in western attire, dancing and drinking.

She lost sight of Red in the sea of bodies and finally made her way towards the bar and sat down on the only open seat, which happened to be between two very large, and very drunk men. She hoped Red would find her soon. She didn't like the way the one on her right was looking at her.

The bartender motioned to her, asking her what she wanted. She yelled that she wanted water, then reiterated it again when the bartender gave her a skeptical look. He finally shrugged and moved away to get her her water.

She turned around to look for Red and sighed in annoyance when she didn't see him anywhere. Knowing him, he was probably making new friends while she was still being eyed by the drunken man next to her.

The bartender slid her water in front of her and walked away before she could thank him. She picked it up and took a sip, then turned around and watched the twenty and thirty somethings in front of her having a good time. She could hardly remember a time in her life when she had fun like that, and suddenly wished she could let loose and act like that. But no, she was a professional, it wasn't appropriate.

"Hey, honey, you here alone?"

Liz closed her eyes and braced herself, then turned back to the tattooed man next to her. "No, I'm not," she said in a low voice, but loud enough for him to hear.

He smiled and leaned closer. "What kind of man would leave you alone? Especially a pretty thing like you?"

She leaned as far away as she could, but kept her features blank. "I don't think that's any of your business."

He laughed heartily and threw his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. His breath was rancid as he stuck his face close to hers. "Oh, I think it is my business."

She tried to pull away and said in a dangerous voice, "Let. Me. Go."

He nuzzled his face into her hair and hummed. "You smell so good though, your man doesn't know what he's missing out on."

Before he could do anything else, she brought her left hand up and slammed her palm in to his nose. He let go immediately and covered his face with his hands, groaning in pain. She stood up and looked at him with disgust. "I warned you." Then she turned and pushed her way through the sea of bodies to find Red. She was done with his place, and she wanted nothing more to get out of there and into some fresh air. She was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

The bodies seemed to part for her as she searched for Red. She was about to turn a different direction when she spotted him sitting intimately with a woman in a dark corner. She watched as the woman put her hand on his thigh and leaned forward to whisper something in his ear, then as Red laughed and covered her hand with his.

Once again, the jealousy rose up like a tidal wave and she couldn't seem to push it down as she was bumped by a dancer and nearly knocked down. She gritted her teeth and pushed her way past the drunk woman, then stalked over to their table with a deep frown on her face.

"Red?"

Red looked up and smiled, but she saw the little flash of guilt in his eyes before he looked at the woman next to him and stood. "Melinda, this is Amber, my contact we came here to meet. I wondered where you had gone off to."

She tried to smile at Amber, but it came out as a grimace as she glared at Red. "Oh, I've just been having the time of my life and decided to come looking for you," she spat out.

He moved around the table and took her hand, then pulled her towards the chair next to his. "Well come and sit and let Amber catch you up."

Liz sat down reluctantly and tried to scoot her chair as far away from his as she could, but he wrapped his arm around the back and held her in place, then caressed the back of her arm with his knuckles in a silent plea for her to cooperate.

She stopped struggling, but kept her body stiff as they listened to Amber give them the information they needed to find the blacklister who had so far eluded capture.

Liz watched as Amber continually glanced at Red's fingers caressing her arm, and Liz couldn't hold back the little smile that played on her face at the woman's obvious jealousy. It wasn't very much fun on the other side, but Liz had no sympathy.

After a half hour, Amber stood up without warning and tried to smile. "That's all I know. Hopefully that helps." As she passed Red, she reached out a hand and squeezed his shoulder. "Call me sometime, Red," she said in a sultry, inviting voice before she moved to walk away.

Liz looked over her shoulder at Amber and said loudly. "Don't count on it."

Amber narrowed her eyebrows, but didn't say anything more as she moved into the mass of bodies and disappeared.

Liz pulled away from Red's semi-embrace and punched his arm. "Seriously, Red? Are you going to do this every time a pretty face comes around?"

He bit the inside of his cheek and grimaced. "Lizzie, I have to play my part, whatever that entails. Are you going to be jealous every time I do this?"

She huffed in annoyance and leaned forward to pick up his drink from the table, then swallowed what was left in the glass. "I don't think I can do this," she finally said, then moved to stand up.

Red wrapped his arm back around her shoulders and pulled her close to his body, then he moved to nuzzle her ear. "Wait, Lizzie, don't leave. All I can do is promise to do better, but you know there will be certain situations where it can't be avoided. It's all a game, sweetheart, you have to know that. You're the only one I want. I promise." He placed little kisses in front of her ear and jaw while he waited for her to think things through.

She closed her eyes and let herself relax against his side. She did know that, but she hated feeling jealous and possessive. Those things didn't bode well in a relationship, but she was falling for him too hard not to try.

Liz sighed, "Fine."

She felt him smile against her skin, then he reached down and picked up her left hand and frowned when he saw that it was bruised. "What happened?" His voice deadly calm, but she could hear the fury behind it.

"Someone got a little handsy with me at the bar." She pulled her hand away from his and looked at it closer. There was a bruise forming on her palm, already dark and ugly looking.

He stood up. "Who was it?"

She took his hand and pulled him back down to his seat. "It doesn't matter. I can take care of myself."

He sighed angrily but didn't try to stand again. "I know you can, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. I wish you would let me protect you."

"You were too busy getting cozy with Amber over here to notice, Red, so drop it. Water under the bridge."

She could see his jaw working as he clenched and unclenched his jaw. She needed to distract him, so she moved her hand to the nape of his neck and ran her fingernails over the short hairs there. He glanced at her, and seemed to relax immediately under her ministrations. She leaned over and kissed his sideburn, then trailed light kisses down his jaw. "Let's go," she whispered, then pulled away and stood up.

He looked up at her, seemingly a little dazed, but finally stood a moment later.

She took his hand and lead him back through the mass of bodies and out the door. As soon as the door shut, she took a deep, cleansing breath and smiled to herself. Maybe they finally had their jealousy issues worked out and she could stop acting like a possessive bitch every time he talked to a woman. She didn't know about him, but she felt a lot better about where things stood with them.

It could only get better from here, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Liz reached for the garbage can by her desk and tried to swallow down the urge to vomit. She hadn't been feeling well for a few days, but whatever sickness this was had finally arrived with a vengeance that morning. She managed to quell the urge and sat back in her chair with a weary sigh. She was freezing cold, yet she could feel sweat beading on her forehead. She hadn't been this sick in years; she felt like she was dying.

Red was out of town or he would have made her go home hours ago, but he'd been gone for almost two weeks now with no return date; at this moment she actually wished he was there so she would have an excuse to leave. Cooper rarely questioned Red. She groaned quietly and let the trash can fall to the floor as she wiped her forehead with her sleeve then pulled her jacket tighter around her thin frame.

She closed her watery eyes and burrowed further into her thick, wool coat then let out a quiet sigh as she resigned herself to taking a short nap at her desk. Hopefully no one would come looking for her for a little while, and maybe it would help her feel better.

Just as she was at the cusp of sleep, the door opened and Ressler strode in with his nose stuck in a case file. He fumbled for his chair and sat down heavily as he continued to read, unaware of another presence in the room. She watched him for another couple of minutes until she felt another sneeze trying to make its way out. She tried to hold it back, but there was no use as she sneezed loudly, then coughed as liquid made its way into her lungs.

Ressler's head shot up in surprise, then he stood up and walked towards her; concern written all over his features. Liz's coughing finally abated as she tried to catch her breath and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. "Keen? What the hell is wrong with you?"  
She glared up at him without moving her head and ground out, "What does it look like?"

He put his hands on his hips and glared back. "It looks like you're really sick. Why are you even here, Liz?" There was so much concern in his voice and in his expression that she almost cried. All she wanted was to be held and taken care of by Red, but he was gone, and there was no one else that cared all that much.

"I'm fine," she said weakly, then closed her eyes as a wave of dizziness hit her.

"Like hell you are," he said as he moved forward and began pulling her out of her chair.

She tried to fight back, but gave up soon after because it was all she could do to stay standing without falling over. She held onto his arm tightly as he maneuvered her around their desks and towards the door.

"What about Cooper?" She said quietly.

He tightened his hold on her and sighed. "I'll take care of it. You should have just stayed home, Keen. You're going to get everyone else sick."

She winced at the censure in his voice, but quickly forgot about it as she had to put all her concentration towards putting one foot in front of the other; not caring that everyone was staring at them as they walked out. She only cared about getting home and laying in her soft, warm bed. Nothing sounded more appealing, not even kisses from Red.

OOOOOO

Liz collapsed in a heap on her couch and watched as Ressler pulled his cell phone out and walked away. She was breathing hard from exertion and was beginning to feel overheated, although the tremors and pains in her body were only getting worse.

She must have dozed off, because the next thing she knew, Ressler was shaking her awake. "Stop, you're hurting me," she moaned as she cracked her eyes open and looked at him blearily.

He stopped immediately, but continued to loom over her. "Cooper says to stay home until you're better. No exceptions. He's not happy that you came in in the first place."  
All Liz could do was swallow and close her eyes again. Sleep sounded so good. Just five minutes.

She was almost asleep again as Ressler began to pull her off the couch. "Come on, Keen, let's get you to bed."

"Noo," she protested weakly as he began dragging her up the stairs. She could barely support herself, so he stopped and picked her up then carried her the rest of the way. All she could do was put her head on his chest and try not to throw up from the weightless sensation.

"Which door is yours, Liz?" He was breathing hard by this time, and Liz was reminded that he wasn't 100% either. Although is problem was different from hers.

"Second door on the right," she whispered.

He opened the door and carried her over the threshold, then laid her gently on the bed; she immediately felt better and tried to snuggle into the soft mattress. Ressler began tugging on her shoes, and she couldn't find it in her to protest, so she let him do whatever. When he finished, he pulled the comforter from under her, then placed it over her and sat by her hip. "Can I get you anything?"

She opened her eyes again and sighed. "You don't need to worr-"

He cut her off and put his hand on her arm. "Just shut up and let me help you, Liz. Now, what do you need?"

She rolled her eyes, even that hurt, then fixed her eyes on his. "I need water and I need medicine. You can find both downstairs in the kitchen."

It was Ressler's turn to roll his eyes, but he stood and quickly made his way out of the bedroom. Liz smiled briefly, then grabbed the pillow Red used when he stayed over (just to sleep, much to her chagrin). She could smell him as if were actually there and took a deep breath before letting her eyes droop closed again.

Again, Ressler woke her up and she groaned in frustration. All she wanted to do was sleep, dammit.

He helped her sit up, then took the pills from his hand and put them in her mouth before he stuck the glass by her lips and helped her drink.

As soon as she swallowed, he eased her back onto the mattress and pulled the blanket all the way up. He stood and turned off the bedside lamp then began to make his way out, but was stopped by Liz's voice. "Thank you, Res."  
Without turning, he smiled and said, "What are partners for?"

When she didn't answer, he walked out and closed the door behind him. Sleep was the thing she needed most at the moment, and he wasn't going to stop her any longer.

OOOOOO

Red was tired and ornery. He'd been away from Liz for almost two weeks and hadn't heard from her once, and his business trip hadn't gone the way he wanted it to. All in all, it had been a horrible month.

He tried calling her once his jet touched down, but it went straight to voice mail. She was probably taking or shower or asleep by now since it was nearing 10:00 PM. He climbed wearily into the back of his car and closed his eyes as Dembe eased them into the nighttime traffic of DC. All Red wanted to do was cuddle up with Liz and sleep for days. "Dembe, take me to Lizzie's."

OOOOOO

It took a few seconds for Ressler to process the sounds he was hearing, but when he realized Liz was throwing her guts up, he stood from the couch and hurried up the stairs. He opened her door to find that she wasn't in bed any longer and saw a strip of light under the bathroom door, but all was quiet. He knocked on the door once, but when she didn't answer, he pushed it open slowly and saw her sitting against the tub with her head in-between her legs. "Liz?"

Her only response was to moan as he walked the rest of the way in and sat down next to her. When she didn't react, he put his hand on her back and began to rub soothing circles. He thought of Liz like a little sister, and he hated seeing people he cared for so miserable. She eventually leaned into his side and laid her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her torso and pulled her into his chest, and she came willingly. He felt her sob before he heard it and tried to soothe the pain and misery away the best he knew how, by being there for her and letting her know that it was ok to cry.

If anyone saw them now they would think something else was going on, and he was grateful that no one would.

OOOOOO

Red bade Dembe goodnight, then trudged up the steps to Liz's brownstone wearily. He raised his hand to knock, but decided to use his key to let himself in in case she was already asleep. When he stepped inside he saw that the house was dark, but that the living room TV was on. He flipped on the light and saw that she wasn't on the couch and frowned. That was odd.

He thought he heard a noise upstairs, so he placed his fedora on the hook in the entryway and laid his coat on the table, then began to walk up the stairs slowly while rolling up his sleeves to his elbows.

He reached her bedroom door and saw that it was cracked open. Something was off, but he couldn't place what it was. He quietly pulled his gun from where it was hidden at the middle of his back and pushed her door open all the way. He let his eyes adjust to the darkness and saw that her bed was messy, but she wasn't in it.

There was a strip of light coming from the cracked open bathroom door, so he crept quietly to the door and listened for sounds. He heard quiet crying, and his heart clenched at the miserable sounds. He pushed the door all the way open and started to address her. "Lizz-"

What he saw before him froze him in place. Liz was practically sitting on Ressler's lap as she cried into his chest. He had his arms wrapped around her and was nuzzling her ear with his nose.

OOOOOO

They both startled and looked up to see Red standing there with his gun in his hand hanging at his side and an angry look on his face. Before either of them could speak, Red did.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to intrude," he said in a quiet voice that didn't conceal his rage, then turned and walked out before she could reply.

She pulled away from Ressler and tried to stand. "Red, wait!" She still hadn't managed to stand but she could hear his footsteps continuing to retreat out of her bedroom.

"Please, Red. Come back, I need to talk to you!" She finally managed to stand on wobbly legs with Ressler's help, then grabbed the door frame and propelled herself into the bedroom. She watched him walk out of the room, then listened as he began to descend the stairs. She hurried after him unsteadily and managed to make it to the banister before collapsing against it. She banged her shin against the smooth wood and let out a little cry of pain as he reached the bottom. He paused and looked at her with concern, then hurried back up when he saw the pain she was in.

"Lizzie, what the hell are you doing?" He grabbed her arm roughly and hauled her back up against his side.

She wrapped her arm around his waist and let him lead her back into her bedroom. "Trying to get you to listen to me, you son of a bitch."

As they crossed her bedroom towards her bed, Ressler stood up from the chair he had been sitting on and looked angrily at Red, then turned to look at her. "Do you want me to stay?"

She shook her head. "I'll be fine, thanks again Res." She tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace as Ressler studied her for a moment longer, his face curious as he probably wondered why Red was showing up at her house late at night and had reacted the way he did, then finally nodded and slipped past Red and down the stairs. She was surprised Red didn't say anything, but figured he had more pressing things on his mind.

She heard her front door open and close as Red helped her sit down on the bed. She patted the spot next to her and said, "Sit down, Red."

He stared at her, the light from the bathroom shining across his face made him look menacing.

She swallowed nervously and gestured again for him to sit down. When he didn't move, she sighed. "It wasn't what it looked like."

He snorted humorlessly and continued to look at her with searching eyes. "Say something, dammit!" She spat out, then laid down quickly as a wave of dizziness hit her again.

Liz heard him approach. "What's going on with you, Lizzie?" He said in a barely audible voice.

She turned her head to look at him. "I'm sick, you bastard, and all you're worried about is what Ressler was doing in my bathroom," her voice was hard, her eyes like icicles.

"Lizzie, put yourself in my shoes." He moved a little closer so she could see his face more clearly.

"I have been in your shoes. What do you think we've been fighting about every damn time we go undercover? You let women hang all over you and expect me to just let it go because you said it was pretend! You can't have it both ways, Reddington." She closed her eyes again as her vision blurred with tears. She was not going to cry. Not now.

He was silent for a full minute before he moved and sat down next to her. "Lizzie." He put his hand on her thigh and squeezed it softly. "You're right. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, I know you don't think of Ressler like that."

She opened her eyes in surprise. "For once, Red, you're actually right. I think of Ressler as a brother, and when you weren't here to comfort me and take care of me, I let one of my best friends do it. Can you fault me for that?"

He moved his hand from her thigh and ran both hands over his face and hair tiredly. He looked exhausted, like he had had a rough week. "No, I can't. I apologize, sweetheart. I feel like I'm always apologizing to you these days," he said wearily.

She had enough energy to huff a quiet laugh. "I wouldn't expect anything else, Red, and I forgive you. Just quit jumping to conclusions."

He leaned down on his elbow and came face to face with her. "I can try." He smiled and kissed her lips softly, then trailed light kisses up her jaw, his stubble scratching her soft cheeks. "Are you ok?"

She reached up and ran her hand over his short hair and held on to his neck as she shook her head. "Not really," she said sleepily.

"Let's get you back under the covers and your head on a pillow, then I'll leave you to rest."

Her grip tightened on his neck. "No, I want you to stay. Please stay." She knew she was begging, but she was beyond caring at this point.

He nodded and stood to help her up, then lead her to the head of the bed and helped her lie down. Once she was situated, he slipped his shoes, vest and shirtsleeves off, leaving him in his trousers and undershirt and slid under the covers next to her. As soon as he turned on his side, she slid all the way back into his body and pulled his arm around her. He buried his face in her hair and placed little kisses as she sighed and relaxed against him. He tightened his hold and closed his eyes, then fell asleep just as quickly as she did.

He was finally home and everything was going to be ok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and comments, I really appreciate it. Thanks for reading!  
> Special thanks to FrostyFingers for her help. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Look at that. Two new fics in a week. I guess my muse is finally back, yay! I would love to hear what you think. Special thanks to FrostyFingers for being such a great, encouraging friend during those dark, museless days. ;)..Thanks for reading! :)


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